The Unexpected Truth
by Lyrasloon
Summary: Taking place at the end of FMAB, Truth doesn't like it when his favorite alchemist finishes the game and decides to start an entirely new one. Throwing Ed into a world of crime just after battling Father, Ed is forced into a world only somewhat similar to his earlier trip into the Gate. All the while, our fav BAU characters are struggling with a new serial killer...*on short hiatus
1. The Twisted Truth

A/N: I know, I already have about four other stories ongoing that I _still_ haven't updated T.T And yet, I keep getting ideas for new ones...a lot of them, too. I actually have a notebook so I can keep track. Okay, so a few notes so that people won't be on auto-flame straight off. This is AU, so obviously things are going to get a little...off right after the first part. I'll try not to let people be too out of their character, but my stories tend to write themselves these days.

To avoid confusion, I'll address some things beforehand. As far as Fullmetal goes, it'll end up being pretty self-explanatory; but he's about eighteen or so, just after the battle with Father. I mention him traveling to England previously, which was in the FMA anime (after Envy killed him and he was there for a small period of time.) This time, he'll be there for a few months instead before returning. I'm going to probably be taking a little bit of...liberties as far as Spence goes, as I've no idea what his true abilities are on an intellectual level. "He had three BAs and three PhDs by the time he was 24. He has an eidetic memory, an IQ of 187 and can read 20,000 words per minute."

Sorry about the long A/N, but if you didn't read it then you'll be more confused than the ones who actually did. :)

Summary: Ed and Al deal with Truth after the grueling battle with Father, only to discover that things with Truth don't always go the way you want.

"_Life is full of unexpected things, but always remember that it's hard to beat a person who never gives up."_

-_Unknown_

Chapter One: The Twisted Truth

"_I take it you're here to retrieve your brother? Just how do you plan on pulling an entire human out of here? What's your payment? Do you intend to offer your own body?"_

_Ed looked at Truth with a serious expression, obviously having no intention of going back._

"_Yeah, I've got your payment right here," he told Truth, pointing_ directly behind him. "_So go ahead and take it. This thing is my portal of truth, so I get to make the decision on how it's used! Isn't that right?"_

_Truth looked at him for a moment, shocked, before he started laughing._

"_It's come to that. And you're sure about this? You _do _realize that you'll never be able to perform alchemy again without your portal?"_

"_I'm aware of that. This portal, I know it contains every secret alchemy has to offer. However, it's led me astray. I saw the truth that lies within it; I became convinced that I could solve everything with alchemy. I couldn't possibly have been more wrong. That was just arrogance."_

"_You're willing to cast it aside, to lower yourself to a simple human?"_

"_What do you mean 'lower myself'? That's the only thing I've ever been; just a simple human who couldn't save a little girl, not even with alchemy."_

"_You're sure you'll be alright without it? Think carefully now."_

_Ed smiled softly, hearing the voices of his friends and comrades in his head._

"_Who even needs alchemy when I've got them?"_

_Truth grinned, looking at Ed after he gave his answer._

"_You've done it! That's the right answer!" Truth said, grinning at his favorite alchemist. Ed clapped his hands, ready for his last transmutation and slammed his hands on the door. As the door disappeared, he saw Al in the distance coming forward. "Go ahead! The back door is right over there!"_

"The back door?! What's that supposed to-?" Ed started to demand, looking at Truth for what he hoped was the last time. To his horror, he realized that his portal was slowly rebuilding itself and Al was no longer by his side. On the verge of a panic attack, he remembered his time on the other side of the gate. Would he be going back to London in the middle of another war or something equally unimaginable?

"Your brother is already on the other side, alchemist. I'm afraid that your work is not done yet, even if you think it is."

"Truth! Why are you doing this?! We had a deal!" Ed yelled, but got no answer in return.

The trip to the other side took minutes, this time having information crammed in his head that gave him a monstrous headache. Just as he started to get his bearings, he felt his headache double. He didn't remember feeling like this as a kid, after getting that information overload. Then again, he was on the verge of unconsciousness due to blood loss. He thought he heard a scream in the distance and initially dismissed it as the pain messing with his mind. He already felt incredibly dizzy and knew that if something was happening, he wasn't sure how much help he would be. The next thing he heard was a dog barking a few houses down, obviously in warning; the bark reminded him of Den and he went a little faster, ignoring the dizziness the best he could when he heard a whine of pain. It took him longer than it usually would, but he found the house. This was the house the scream had come from, he knew, but it looked almost unnaturally dark and eerie. Gulping, Ed forced down the sense of dread that was threatening to overwhelm him. Forcing his pain away, he tried to think of a possible way inside that wouldn't cause too much noise. Inwardly groaning, he noticed that the only way in was up on the roof. Sighing, he knew that it stealth was his only option. Climbing onto the roof, he made his own entrance, unsure if someone could see light but willing to chance it all the same. He couldn't be sure if there was a person in front of the window, and if said person was an enemy or a victim.

Dropping down as silently as possible, Ed took note of his surroundings and noticed that it was entirely too quiet, even if it _was_ the middle of the night. He heard no snoring or noise of any sort and it gave him chills down his spine. Sneaking through the house as quickly as he could without making too much noise, he found someone leaving the house in a hurry and started to go after them. Making his way out the door, he heard a week cough and stopped in his tracks. Forgetting the person who had undoubtedly hurt at least one person in this house, he searched for the source of the noise and froze in horror. He suddenly felt the dizziness return with a vengeance, along with a nightmarish vision of his past suddenly reappearing and disappearing before his eyes. Shaking his head slightly, he tried to find the person who was still alive, if not barely so. A vague sense of irony crossed his mind as he saw a little girl lying on the floor, reminding him of the one he couldn't save. She looked like she was barely holding on and Ed once again pushed the dizziness to the back of his mind. Picking her up, he noticed her terrible injuries and knew right then he wouldn't be able to save her either. Pushing that thought aside, he ran out the front door at full speed and started knocking on the first door he saw.

A man answered, looking irritated until he saw the girl in Ed's arms and went to call for an ambulance. He probably had also noted her terrible injuries and knew the inevitable outcome, as well as Ed, but he had ignored it.

As the paramedics took the young girl away, Ed finally collapsed from the pain and exhaustion. He was tired and didn't want to deal with anything at the moment. She was going to die. Another little girl like Nina was going to die and he wasn't there to stop it.

The profilers looked at the information on their newest case, involving a string of murder-suicide cases. The latest was the Crawford family; including Chris and Allison, along with their two children, Sam and Emily. There was also the Miller family discovered about a month previous,* which had been found the same way...with a few notable exceptions. There were more questions than answers at this point, but there were a few witnesses that reported seeing strange flashes of light as well as a few people running around the property. Unfortunately, the only credible witness that had most likely seen everything wasn't talking to anyone and hadn't since the incident. The other witness had labeled him as "distressed and talking in gibberish that I couldn't understand".

J.J. sighed and looked at everyone. The only witness that was inside that house and still alive was undoubtedly traumatized beyond the realm of speaking to anyone, which meant that the only other person they had was the neighbor who had answered the door and called the ambulance. According to the hospital, they had no name and were labeling him as a John Doe as they hadn't found any identification on him. The only thing they had was an angry ex-husband, Eric Miller*. She couldn't see any connection that he could have possibly had to the Crawfords, but it was really too early to tell. Reid was giving his notes a look as if trying to decipher some hidden clue that had yet to be revealed. Glancing at Hotch, she nodded and waited for the briefing and Garcia to call in.

As the briefing started, everyone noticed how little attention Reid had offered until Hotch finally stopped altogether.

"Reid, is there something on your mind?" Hotch asked, not bothering to address the elephant in the room.

"The neighbor said that he was "speaking gibberish". What does that sound like?" Reid asked, speaking mostly to himself.

Morgan looked at him, trying to figure out where he was going with all of this.

"It sort of sounds like he might have just been speaking a foreign language, and add in that he was obviously under a good deal of stress and anxiety-"

"He'd be very hard to understand." Hotch finished, understanding. "Reid, I want you and Morgan to try and talk to him. Maybe he just doesn't know anyone who understands what he says; the rest of us will be checking up on a few more leads in the meantime."

(A/N: remember that he's speaking German initially. Everything italic is German, and otherwise it's English unless otherwise said. With the other languages, I'll be using Translate- so if the grammar is wrong, sorry.)

"Okay Reid, what exactly is your plan for someone who won't speak to anyone?" Morgan asked as they walked in the quiet hall of the hospital. Apparently, the guy had had high pain levels and was unconscious for almost three weeks when he and the girl were brought in. There was obviously something he didn't want to even acknowledge, even on a subconscious level. As he opened the door, Reid looked back a little unsure himself. Morgan sighed, remembering pretty boy's self-esteem issues.

"Maybe I can try different languages and see if he responds to any of them."

Morgan quietly laughed, walking in just in front of Reid and looking at what he hoped would be a witness. As soon as he felt his spirits soar just a bit in hope, he felt them take a serious nosedive at the despondent look on the young man's face. It felt contagious, as the energy that had been coursing through their veins mere moments ago disappeared. Morgan stopped, feeling a shiver run down his spine. Clearing his throat, he attempted to break the tension by asking the kid a simple question.

"What's your name, kid?"

Unfortunately, the only response he received was a small shake of his head and a look of utter confusion. Reid took his cue, thinking of a possible language the other would probably understand. Going by looks alone wouldn't get them anywhere, as blond hair was pretty popular here and English was spoken by a relatively small number by the rest of the world's standards. He seemed to be of a Northern Europe descent, going by looks alone and the fact that he didn't know even the simplest of English phrases.

"¿Cuál es su nombre? ¿Recuerdas lo que pasó?"** Reid started simply, knowing it probably wouldn't work. "John" looked at him with a little more life than before, obviously trying to put together what Reid had just asked him. Shaking his head, "John" looked at him in a regretful way, as Reid tried again.

"Quel est votre nom? Vous souvenez-vous de ce qui s'est passé?" he asked, looking for a different reaction than before. Obviously, "John" had caught on to what Reid was attempting and hoped this time someone would finally stop saying he was talking in gibberish; at least that's what he thought they said. He only caught every sentence or so, since it had been so long since he had last been on this side. Some of them talked slower than others, and they were a bit easier to understand. But no one spoke the language he was used to or understood the little English he could say because his accent came across rather thick at times.

"_My name is Edward Elric." _Ed said in an uncharacteristically quiet voice. He knew the likelihood of someone understanding him was pretty low, but this guy seemed to know a few languages.

"Was that German?" Morgan asked, unsure if he heard him right. He knew a little of the language, having only bothered to take what was required of him in school. Reid had, of course, understood him quite perfectly.

"Yes, he said his name is Edward Elric."

Hearing his name, Ed looked up at Reid and Morgan, who were both glad to have gotten over that one, particularly difficult hurdle. Nevertheless, Reid looked at Ed and continued their line of questioning.

"_Do you remember what happened?" _

"Yes," Ed said in English, throwing the two of them off completely. _Did he actually know English?_ "I know little...English, but my accent is more thick. No one understand what I say."

"So you don't speak it?" Morgan said, making sure to speak slowly enough for Ed to understand. It was obvious that the kid wasn't stupid. Looking over at Reid, he wondered if maybe they were both-"

"I speak slower so you can understand. How much you understand?" Ed asked, struggling so that these people could understand.

"This kid is fluent, so you don't have to struggle around him. I only understand some, but I can relearn it if you need me to." Morgan told him, somehow getting the feeling that Ed was going to be a regular in their lives. "Maybe you should try and do the same. I get the feeling that you're pretty smart."

"Fluent?"

"_Fluent, as in able to speak the language just about as well as you."_

"_You must be pretty smart," _Ed observed, giving him a shrewd look. Morgan raised an eyebrow and gave a surprised look.

"You could say that, I suppose. What about you? You don't cross me as someone who is stupid, yet you run into a house that was obviously dangerous." _And you keep not answering our questions, running us in circles with seemingly no effort. It's almost as if he knows how to run interrogations._

Ed tried to keep up, even though he knew Morgan had tried to purposefully speak slower for his benefit. Looking at his interpreter for as long as the investigation held out, he gave a 'what did he just say?' look.

"_He basically asked why you went in that house because you don't look like an idiot. Although you _do _come across as someone who is probably reckless."_

"I...heard noise. It was...loud dog at first and then nothing, which felt off. Then I went there and heard a scream and tried sneak in." Reid and Morgan looked at each other, obviously wanting to ask a few questions, but decided not to interrupt. They knew if they said anything now, he probably would clam up and never repeat it. At this point, he was just lost inside of his own memories and they had a feeling it was about to turn for the worse. "It was dark and had no noise, which I thought was bad. I saw person go and followed but heard girl crying out. Girl reminded me of other girl Nina. I could not save her and I could not save Nina. Too much blood and hurt too bad. I went to next door person and knocked, and they called for help. _My head hurt and I was too dizzy, then I finally blacked out. The next thing I knew, I was here and no one understood me when I asked about her. I asked but no one would answer me. I don't even know her name! _I didn't save her either, did I?" Ed finally finished, taking a deep breath.

"You remember what the person looked like? I know it was late at night, but anything at all would help." Morgan said, lowering his voice after seeing the dramatic display.

"It was...man, maybe my _height_ not fat or thin. It was too dark for hair, but it was dark color, like red, black or brown. Sorry if that not good enough."

"It's better than anything we have at the moment. Anything else? Like a skin color?"

"Light color...pale."

"Thanks a lot, man. That's a great help, and better than what we had to go on." Morgan said, practically sighing in relief. Reid, however, stood there looking somewhat on edge about the whole affair. Who would talk for Ed when they left? It was pretty rare for them to be able to find someone who could speak it as well as he could only manage some broken English. Struck with a brilliant idea, he ran from the room, leaving the other two to look at each other and shrug. Morgan figured that Pretty Boy was feeling guilty about leaving Ed behind and was probably trying to fix it somehow. Ed looked at him, asking him silently: where'd he just go? "If I had to guess, I'd say to get you a book. He feels bad, leaving you by yourself."

"_I was alone before. Why does he care?" _Ed mumbled, unsure if he was only asking himself or the other man in the room. He got his answer, nevertheless.

"That's just how the kid is. If he sees a person in trouble, he helps." Looking at Ed carefully, he noticed how intense and sharp his eyes could be when he wasn't looking so despondent. It seemed that he was missing human contact more than anything, but there was a deep sadness that had dwelled in those eyes for a long time; it made him look like probably twice his age. For some reason that he couldn't explain, it made him incredibly sad. "I can see you being the same way. Not a lot of people would have done what you did, given the very little information that was given to you. I don't know if it was reckless or brave."

"_Reckless? Is that like being stupid? My brother tells me that...all the time." _Ed said, paling at the thought of Alphonse being alone like he was in a world that only spoke English.

"What is it? You look like you don't feel good or something." Morgan asked cautiously, unsure of this new territory. He knew the moment that Ed's attitude changed that he needed an actual interpreter and not the little bits that he knew.

"_My brother! My brother doesn't speak English as well as I do and we got separated when we got here! This is so bad and I messed things up again. I should have known about this. I thought about it earlier, but it wasn't like I could just leave with no one telling me anything and-"_

Morgan glanced at the door to see his savior come rushing back in with several English learning books, along with several others. His eyes widened quite a bit at the sudden change in atmosphere and looked over at Morgan in confusion. Ed was moving more than he had since he probably arrived in the hospital, pacing and mumbling in German at a fairly quick pace.

"Ed? _Edward, what's going on?_" Reid asked, trying to get a clue as to what was going on. He wasn't one that was prone to violence, but he knew that Ed was just mumbling to himself and didn't care to think about who else was with him at the moment. Frustrated that Ed wouldn't stop pacing, Spencer finally grabbed him the next time he was close enough and didn't let him walk off. He was pretty surprised at how hard it was to make him stay there, as Ed was quite a bit stronger than him. As Ed snapped out of his musings, he blinked and looked at the two.

"Is nothing...I am just uh, is sad for my brother. I am worried."

"Was he supposed to be with you?" Reid asked, beginning to understand. This guy was undoubtedly the older of the two if he was this worried about him.

"Yes. We got...apart, or split?"

Reid nodded, seeing how this could definitely be a problem for the other boy. Ed could barely speak English as it stands, so there was no telling what the other kid was dealing with as he had his own language barrier.

"Could you draw or have someone else do it?" Morgan added, trying to give some ideas for the poor kid. No wonder he seemed so depressed.

"_Sorry, I'm tired and it's exhausting trying to listen and say in slow English. He wants me to...write about Alphonse?" _Ed asked, giving them both a weird look. Reid shook his head, telling him about sketching his brother, to which Ed laughed. It was a ridiculous notion Ed knew. He could draw just as well as some child, and that wouldn't look anything like his brother. "_No, I am a horrible artist. I am a scientist, not someone who draws."_

Morgan snorted, nodding in understanding. Not everyone could draw.

"_Can you come with us and have someone else do it for you?" _Reid suggested. Ed raised his eyebrows in surprise and nodded a bit. He'd be happy to finally get out of here, either way. He was grateful that some nurse had let him wear these things they called sweats. He looked for his own clothes and made a shooing motion for them to get out while he changed back into his old clothes. (Think CoS)

-Back at BAU-

Ed had had an artist create a sketch that he thought looked remarkably similar to Al (think end of FMA), to a point that he thought that it really could have been him. He could feel the stares as he came in, which both Reid and Morgan had told him would happen because "the people here were just too nosy for their own good sometimes". He supposed that it was the same no matter where you went. There was no "ignorance is bliss or don't think about it and it will just go away eventually", so for now Ed had to just pretend he didn't notice. Looking at Reid, he wondered why the guy was still with him at all. Was it because of Al or because he just looked like some charity case that needed saving or something? On the other hand, there was that thing that Morgan had said before they had left that wouldn't leave him alone.

"_I was alone before. Why does he care?"_

"That's just how the kid is. If he sees a person in trouble, he helps."

It grated on his nerves, the way the guy acted so much like...he supposed in a way, he was reminded of Hughes. It was probably because of the way the guy was always trying to help him, getting him books so that he could learn the language and now helping him look for Alphonse? That was definitely something that Hughes would've done. It's like Truth was just getting thrills out of finding new ways to get at him every day. First, it was Nina and now its a blatant reminder of Hughes. This just keeps getting better and better by the day.

"_Are they ever going to stop looking at me like I'm some science experiment to be looked at?" _Ed whispered, trying his best to remain calm, knowing that every one of these people probably had the ability to shoot him on a whim. It was like being in a room filled with clones of Hawkeye. Okay, _that_ is one scary image he could've lived without thinking about.

"_I _did _you about them being so nosy. It's not my fault you didn't listen."_

"_I merely thought you were overexaggerating!"_

"_Not about them, no. I would say run while you can, but I think my bosses want to talk to you about everything. You might want to hide in the conference room."_

Ed did his best not to stomp off after Reid in a form of protest, as it would've made him look like when he was twelve years old again and throwing a fit in Mustang's office. He was just able to contain a growl of frustration as he plopped himself down in a somewhat comfortable chair. He wasn't sure what to expect from either of these guys, so he figured he shouldn't let down his guard around them. He could make it _look _like he was because that was one of the many things he had learned with Mustang and the rest of them. You could always make yourself look naive or unsure about a situation, or even act totally absurd, throwing everyone around you for a loop later. If everyone thinks you're a fool, well, that's all the better. Making an attempt to look completely relaxed, Ed subtly took in his surroundings and made sure he knew every possible exit in case things got super sticky. It wouldn't be his first time escaping a government building if that were indeed the case. He wasn't fool enough not to realize that there were a few people observing him on the other side of the glass, but he made an effort not to look at the window or even tense his muscles in any way. This was supposedly a conference room, but he wasn't going to be fooled into thinking they weren't going to use this as an opportunity to question him.

Hotch and Gideon watched Ed through the glass as he checked out his surroundings with an aura of nonchalance. Hotch narrowed his eyes slightly at the kid's attitude, not liking how he seemed so unguarded about the whole situation. Morgan came up behind them, followed by Reid; who looked at what seemed to be a completely different Ed. Morgan looked at Reid, a little puzzled by the whole thing. He was about to ask him something, before Hotch interrupted.

"He seems a little too relaxed, if you ask me. For someone who is about to be in a meeting with some people that speak a totally different language then he's used to, he doesn't seem worried at all."

Gideon turned back to the other two and raised an eyebrow, unsure of this particular development. He knew for a fact that this kid was putting on some sort of act. He wasn't dumb; the kid seemed to be intentionally relaxing while being subtle and careful in his movements. That took training and a certain level of patience and intelligence that most people couldn't manage.

"Reid, how did he behave in the hospital while you were questioning him? Was he defensive, shy or maybe aggressive?"

Reid shook his head and looked back at Ed, who was now started to absentmindedly draw imaginary alchemic equations on the table. Confused at first, Reid moved forward to watch what he was doing but gave up as he couldn't quite make it out at his angle.

"At first he seemed pretty withdrawn, which is quite normal considering that no one knew his language. He felt isolated and worried about his younger brother, from what I can tell. He seems incredibly smart, and able to learn pretty fast. He didn't seem as defensive as much as just...lost and sad." Morgan stood there silently, nodding his head every once in a while in agreement.

"Pretty boy here is right, and that's why it makes me so nervous that he's so calm right now. During our interview, he was able to practically direct the questions himself; sometimes he even redirected on occasion."

Hotch frowned minutely at that, and turned towards Gideon. They both knew what that meant, and it wasn't necessarily a good thing.

_He has experience in interrogation techniques, and he also seems intelligent and very aware of his surroundings. This could be a good thing if they played their cards right, or an incredibly bad thing if things went south._

"Hotch, let me and Reid go in." Gideon told him, surprising him, to say the least. He wasn't necessarily okay with that. "You can observe from the side, while Reid translates. You saw him earlier."

Hotch acquiesced, knowing exactly what he was saying. As all three of them entered, one thought kept bugging him.

_He was checking for multiple exits._

*Since it's AU anyway, I'm not really bothering to take into account the timing between the Crawfords and the Millers, along with the ex being arrested and interrogated by Reid. Eric _still_ gets arrested covered in his son's blood, etc.; Ed just ends up getting there first, right after our fox.

**(here are the different translations)

¿Cuál es su nombre? ¿Recuerdas lo que pasó? - What's your name? Do you remember what happened?-

Quel est votre nom? Vous souvenez-vous de ce qui s'est passé -same question as above-

A/N: Soooo, I'm not exactly sure where this is going, but this was stuck in my archives and I'd honestly almost forgotten about it. I think I'll either have Ed investigated for a bit or have him help them. Yeah, like I don't have so many other fics already. T-T


	2. Interrogation Gets Some Answers, and Yet

A/N: So, I think that I'm going to make the interrogation scene short and sweet (hopefully); so I can manage to get a move on, towards the more important things. I am fully aware that the first part will probably end up as more filler, since I pretty much suck at these kind of scenes. *goes towards the corner and begins moping* T.T

*As a note: Since Ed would already have enough issues (seriously), Truth has decided to be nice for once and give him some extra information about the world, but also an identity.

Last time: Ed meets Morgan and Spence after he's thrown into the other side of the gate and tries to save a little girl from the same fate as Nina. The team is confused and somewhat frustrated when they decide it's time to get more answers from Ed, knowing he is smart and apparently looking for exits just in case.

Tangune: Oh, don't worry. I have plans. XD

Foxchick1: It's coming, trust me.

Guest: I'm glad. I know that this chapter won't be as totally exciting as the next or previous, merely because it has to set things up...but if only they hadn't tried to outsmart an Elric. Too bad! (insert singsong voice here)

Hotch frowned minutely at that, and turned towards Gideon. They both knew what that meant, and it wasn't necessarily a good thing.

_He has experience in interrogation techniques, and he also seems intelligent and very aware of his surroundings. This could be a good thing if they played their cards right, or an incredibly bad thing if things went south._

"Hotch, let me and Reid go in." Gideon told him, surprising him, to say the least. He wasn't necessarily okay with that. "You can observe from the side, while Reid translates. You saw him earlier."

Hotch acquiesced, knowing exactly what he was saying. As all three of them entered, one thought kept bugging him.

_He was checking for multiple exits._

Chapter 2: The Interrogation Gets Some Answers, and Yet None

Just as they were settling in, Garcia rushed in with a file that obviously contained what little they could actually find on Ed. It had been quite frustrating, challenging and not at all satisfying. She could tell by the looks on their faces that even they were surprised at the meager findings. She sensed that there would be some serious discussions in the near future.

Ed looked at everyone's positions in the room, taking in what he knew wasn't going to be "just a few questions", as Spence had insisted it was going to be. No, this was an interrogation. Spencer was here as an interpreter, as Ed had barely had a chance to look at his book for translations. The one on the wall seemed to be just observing, but ready to step in at a moments notice. If he had to venture a guess, he would say that he was their leader. He wasn't smug like Mustang came off as most of the time, but he seemed to have the same kind of disposition. Glancing at the one who was reading the file, he narrowed his eyes for a mere moment. He seemed to be digesting every word in the file, as if trying to memorize the contents. This man was no fool, that was for sure and had obviously done his fair share of investigations and questioning. Giving a subtle look at all of them, he figured that aside from maybe Reid they had probably done plenty of interrogating. For some reason, he knew Reid was more like Alphonse; he came across as unassuming and shy, but very smart at the same time. He could trust Reid, if only for the fact that his personality reminded him so much of his brother. The other two were his superiors, if what Reid had told him was correct. Well, Ed wasn't about to let them turn the tables on him and make him look guilty. The husband, boyfriend, or one seen fleeing the scene was always the most suspicious, he knew from experience. Even if he was only trying to help, he had been seen with blood on his hands of one of the victims by a witness. It was time for him to try and gain an upper hand before they tried to play all of this against him, even if they were playing the innocent "we only have a few questions to ask". From his time in the military, he'd found some phrases like that were usually followed by jail time. Turning towards Reid, he chose not to bother with his broken English that he could manage on purpose.

"_Are you sure that I can trust them? Asking a few questions means I'm a suspect, doesn't it?"_

Reid looked at him, somewhat shocked at his questions and tried to come up with a response. Ha! First point goes to Elric!

"_Why shouldn't you trust them, Ed? I told you they just wanted to go over what you told me."_

Ed looked back at him with what he hoped was more of a neutral look on his face. He was well aware that these people were experts at reading every type of body language. Everything he did and said could and probably would be used against him in some way. He noticed the Mustang counterpart in the corner shift a bit, as if to prove his point.

"_I don't even know their names or anything about them. Why would I trust them?" Ed countered, being careful not to raise his voice or do anything suspicious. He knew they wouldn't like him only talking to Reid and undoubtedly finding _that _weird; but the only movements he would make was to barely move his hand_ _and raise one of his eyebrows._

Reid inwardly sighed, knowing that Ed was right. He felt more than saw Hotch looking at him, and knew Gideon was reading the file but paying attention to the conversation nonetheless. Of course, he knew what Ed was trying to do at this point and he had been doing a very good job at it. He probably figured that this was an interrogation and was trying to gain the upper hand before he got backed into a corner. It was an excellent strategy and if he were to be honest, it scared him a bit. They hadn't been in the room for five minutes and Ed had managed to start the conversation, if only to avoid being caught in some trap; he instead had lead them into one.

"_Why trust me, then?"_

Ed looked at him and had for a minute, seen his brother smiling next to him as if they were one and the same. He gave him a small smile, catching the others a little off guard for a moment looked down at the table before responding in a quieter voice.

"_It's quite simple, really. You remind me a lot of my brother. The way you act and treat people is a lot like he does. I know that if he were here with me, he'd say something like: "They helped you, so why not help them too, brother?" Ed finished, slumping. 'Why was Al like his inner conscience these days?' He was going to be forced into helping them, even if it was because he knew that it was something Al would want him to do._

Reid was surprised at both his response and his sudden difference in body language. He thought it had a lot to do with him talking about his brother. It always seemed to have him clam up suddenly or change what he was saying. It was truly mysterious, to be sure; however, it wasn't what they had to focus on at the moment.

"_If you trust me, then trust me when I tell you that these two are good men. Hotch is behind me, and he can be a little...stern or stoic at times, but he'll be there if you need him. That is Gideon in front of you. I like to play chess with him a lot; its quite challenging. He's very smart and a good teacher." Reid told him, introducing them as both had also looked at him when their names were mentioned._

Ed nodded, giving them both a quick glance and smiling somewhat sad and bittersweet at Reid at their descriptions. They sounded a lot like Mustang and Hughes, for some reason.

"_Yeah, they remind me of a couple of people I once knew."_

Reid looked confused at Ed's expression, but knew not to question it. The way he said it in past tense with that sad smile made him not want to say anything else unless it was brought up again. Taking a deep breath, he looked at Ed.

"_Should we get started, then? I know you didn't do anything wrong and I'll try my best to step in if they get too riled up, but I doubt that would happen."_

Ed nodded, trying not to give him a smirk. He really was so much like Al, believing in him and wanting to stop trouble all the time. Smiling, he looked at everyone in turn; including Morgan, who was still watching. He knew Morgan wouldn't be able to resist, so he did something that he knew would make Al mumble and probably facepalm.

"_Hello Morgan! I knew you'd come and watch the fun!"_

Reid tried to hold back his laughter as he heard the thump, which meant that his friend probably hit the window with his head and stared at Ed. Meanwhile, Ed couldn't hold back the smirk at the priceless reaction of the both of them.

XD-Ed is awesome-XD-XD-XD-Criminal Minds-FMA-

Gideon had finished reading a while ago, but had been trying to pay attention to the conversation going on around him in vain. He knew that Ed spoke what sounded like German; but the last he'd heard, Reid had given him one of those translators German to English dictionaries. He was very aware that the man sitting in front of him was far from stupid and could have probably memorized a good portion of it by now. It was obvious that he had Reid going in some kind of circle as they had talked for quite a while before him apparently agreeing to something. It seemed as if this would not be the easiest one to question, but they had no choice but to do their best. The way he had been trying to analyze them from the moment they came into the room showed his intelligence and an ability to think ahead. He saw Reid looking a lot calmer than usual, which he thought was probably because of something that had been said as they both settled in. Reid nodded at him, giving him a silent signal that they were ready to begin.

Gideon studied Ed for a moment before looking at the first page of the file, which he knew was unnecessary. While he did that, Ed was left to wonder where all of that information came from and what was there. He could read English easily enough, but he hadn't been here long enough to have a file that big; even if it wasn't that large. He knew the only explanation was Truth and that he had no choice but to go along with whatever was there...mostly.

(So, as Ed has been trying to study, he'll understand most of the questions that are asked. However, since I don't want to write everything in English twice, I'm thinking one in English and one from translate or something for when Ed doesn't understand. If he responds in German, it'll be in German and I'll try to summarize so I don't have to do footnotes...I guess? Again, I almost always write all of this on the fly. I haven't done rough drafts in a good while. XD)

"It says here that you're from a small town called Risembool in the southeast region of Germany. You barely speak the language here, so are you here on business or to stay?"

Ed looked confused. He could usually make out what people said in English, more or less; but that question was very long and seemed all mushed together. He looked at Reid, silently asking what he said.

"Hier steht, dass Sie aus einer kleinen Stadt namens Risembool im Südosten Deutschlands stammen. Sie sprechen hier kaum die Sprache, sind also geschäftlich hier oder um zu bleiben."

Ed thought about it, but tried not to think too long; just so they wouldn't think that he was trying to make things up. Well, he kind of was, but that wasn't the point.

"_Ich bin alleine hier und wurde von meinem Bruder getrennt. Ich suche ihn, also könnte man sagen, dass ich geschäftlich hier bin."_

Reid's eyes widened a little, before looking at Gideon. "He said that he's here looking for his brother, so he guesses that would be business."

"Why were you in that neighborhood so late at night? It seems strange that you just happen to be there just after they were attacked." Gideon said.

Ed caught most of what the man had said, and tried using some of the context clues to figure it out. There was one word he couldn't remember seeing in the dictionary. Turning to Reid, he thought he may have heard something like it before.

"_Was bedeutet Nachbarschaft?"_

Reid nodded, understanding the confusion.

"_Es ist wie in einer Gegend. Warum bist du in dieser Gegend herumgelaufen?"_

Why _was_ he in the area? Oh yeah, because Truth had basically dumped him there. How could he spin that one? They wouldn't believe him basically being dumped there...mostly.

"I was...uh, _im Grunde ..dort abgeladen_. I remember being hurt and lost...not knowing where help was. I heard the dog cry out and forgot injuries to try and help. I guess it didn't help, because das kleine Mädchen still died." Ed remembered, thinking of Nina and how that ended so tragically.

Gideon was confused somewhat and looked at Reid. He understood most of it, but Ed was going back and forth between the two languages and only making some sense. He understood that Ed was hurt and lost, heard the dogm and tried to help. The witness said he saw Ed with a very injured little girl in his arms, which probably meant that was who he was talking about when he said they died. Reid cleared his throat and sadly repeated the parts that were in German.

"He said he was dumped there and that he tried to help the little girl."

Gideon now almost regretted asking the question, seeing Ed look so sad and dejected. Deciding to move on, he wanted to get the blacked out parts of his file which not even Garcia could manage to get past. It was too strange, and the only parts of that they _could _manage to figure out had to do with the German embassy and the military. They had a few names, but no contacts or any other leads past that. It did, however, explain how he was so adept at examining his surroundings and managing to direct interrogations. They had no way to contact his parents and it would be unnecessary as you could get into the military at 17 in Germany.

"It says here that you were part of the military over in Germany. Are you transferring over here or were you allowed to leave?" Gideon asked, trying to figure out how long the kid was staying.

Ed glanced at Reid, starting to feel tired. Trying to translate in his head was getting pretty tiresome, and he was fairly close to speaking nothing but German to save any energy he actually had left.

"_Hier steht, dass Sie Teil des Militärs in Deutschland waren. Wechseln Sie hierher oder durften Sie gehen?" _Reid interpreted, starting to pick up on the wariness that Ed was starting to show. It had happened before, when Ed was starting to get tired and just not wanting to bother trying to figure out the English anymore.

Ed tapped his finger on his chin, having really not thought on it before. It was true that as a state alchemist in the military he carried the rank of a Major. His main goal was always Alphonse and nothing else, and Mustang had always known that from the very beginning. He supposed that "transferring" here wouldn't be too bad in the meantime, and they could help him in his search. He knew that Reid would, at the very least; but finding a place to stay could be challenging at any rate.

"_Ich war Major im Militär, und mein Vorgesetzter ließ mich gehen, um nach meinem Bruder zu suchen. Er erwartet mich nicht so bald wieder._" Ed said, knowing it sounded like the both of them had made some shady deal from the start. It wasn't his problem. "_Ich habe ein Problem. Ich war gerade erst hier und es gab keinen Ort, an dem ich leben konnte._"

Reid blinked a few times, before repeating what Ed had said with a non-believing tone. His boss just...let him go?

"He said he was a Major in the military, and his superior let him leave to look for his brother. He is not expecting him back anytime soon. He also said that there weren't any living arrangements or anything made for him, so I guess they just left him on his own after putting him on a plane or something."

Gideon looked at both Reid and Ed, not quite believing what he had just heard. The kid in front of him was both lucky and extremely unlucky at the same time. His boss had let him go look for his brother, but at the same time left him with no means to take care of himself.

"_Ich habe eine Idee, Ed. Vielleicht könnten Morgan oder ich Sie bei uns haben. Ich meine, Sie haben gesehen, wie der Hauptverdächtige von der Szene geflohen ist." _Reid told Ed, not quite sure if it would qualify, but it surely had to be a better option than living on the streets.

It was true, though, Ed thought. He didn't have a place to stay or any resources to find his brother. And though his pride demanded he just find a way to do it himself; logic said there wasn't another way, and that he should try and help them if they wanted it. Stupid Al voice again. He nodded absentmindedly, agreeing to Reid's...proposition.

"_Das klingt gut. Wenn Sie jemals meine Hilfe brauchen, habe ich bereits Fälle bearbeitet._"

Reid nodded, thanking Ed silently. They might just need that help and it was obvious that Ed was smart and knew how to make connections. Having worked in the military, he would definitely have seen his fair share of cases.

"Ed told me that he would like to help with any case we need, since he's staying for a while, more or less. He also said that he wants to live with possibly Morgan or myself, probably since he trusts us more than the rest of you."

Gideon looked at Ed and considered the possibilities, thinking that even if it was only for a while it would be good to have some extra help. Plus, he'd never seen Reid so open and not as awkward as he usually is. He looked at Hotch and knew that he wouldn't be so quick to agree, as he tended to be someone who would be on a slightly more...paranoid side. He just was one that would keep a close eye on someone until he trusted them. Ed's background and military ground were practically spotless, so he saw no reason to say no. Plus, he knew that Hotch would keep a close eye on him regardless. He nodded in silent agreement with both of them, but would leave it up to Reid and Morgan in the end. The kid seemed decent enough.

"If we need any help on the case, we'll ask; but you should know that when you're here you should stay by one of us at all times until a probationary period is over. Talk it over with those two and decide who you're staying with." Gideon said, standing up and leaving with Hotch.

Ed looked at Reid for an explanation, which was repeated in German and nodded. He'd try and earn his keep, while looking for Al whenever he could. If what Reid said was true, these people were decent and were just trying to help others.

"_Ich denke, ich werde hier sein, um zu helfen. Was kann ich sonst noch tun?"_

Reid thought about it a bit and figured there was nothing else that could be done for the day. They might as well just think on it some more tomorrow, both the case and anything else. It was time to go home for the day and just rest and relax for the night, if nothing else.

"_Wir gehen erstmal nach Hause und sorgen uns morgen darum. Noch etwas?"_

Ed frowned, hoping to get on the case that had killed the little girl who reminded him too much of Nina. Of course, he was also tired and at the mercy of whatever they basically needed him for; so he was forced to acquiesce for the moment. He supposed that staying at Reid's house would be the most logical, since he spoke the most German, next to Morgan.

"_Gehen wir zu dir nach hause?" _Ed asked, having a feeling he'd end up falling asleep in the car. He'd rather just know where they were going ahead of time, but it seemed like they were going directly to Reid's place anyway.

"_Wir gehen zu meinem Haus_." Reid told him, basically just confirming what Ed already knew. To Reid's house it .

A/N: Alright, seeing as I'm getting towards 3700+ words, I'm calling it quits for the day. However!

Now that we have established our lovely Ed getting passed what he so hates to do (AKA controlling his emotions, not that it matters sometimes), we have him past the interrogation and onto helping. Truth truly covered [it's] bases there, making sure there were no holes in the plans for Ed. Even poor Ed was surprised. o_O

Next chapter: We'll be moving on in the case "The Fox", while Reid and Ed more or less move in together. Reid comes to realize that Ed has nothing but the clothes on his back and foreign money. TTFN!


	3. He's a Puzzle

A/N: I am really quite embarrassed at my lack of writing lately, but things here have been seriously out of control to the point that I have been too exhausted to write on most days. Adding to that, my health had unfortunately taken a turn, which luckily had nothing to do with the pandemic. I've managed to do something like strain the muscles in my left arm, which is another reason I haven't been writing. So, I am not dead or dying. I've just been a little...stretched, more or less. Now, hopefully this doesn't take me forever to do.

Sagey: Yes, I had actually noticed that other than Reid probably being a little less naive due to the circumstances with his mother and her illness, but also his extreme intelligence. Aside from a few differences and some...transgressions, I feel like they are actually quite similar and would undoubtedly get along. I can easily imagine Ed playing the big brother role to Reid. XD

From-the-inside1569 I'll answer your questions in order and try to see if I can tell you where I may have (hopefully) written it in.

No, Ed is not short. It takes place right after his "last" transmutation in FMAB, starting in chapter 1. His appearance is like it is in CoS (Conqueror of Shamballa), so they won't be able to tell as far as his prosthetics go. His picture is what he looks like in the left corner. Al's going to be more like he was at the end of FMA when they were separated and he went back in age. He will not be the poor starving thing at the end of FMAB.

We all know that the BAU is far from stupid. They have Ed basically being babysat (like _that_ hasn't happened before) by Reid and Morgan until his probationary period is up. On the other hand, he basically has a spotless record [insert hysterical laughter here] *-++++3333333333333333333333 ← dog on keyboard.. :)

Aside from the fact that I have my arm hurting and my usual epilepsy? Yep! I hope everyone is being safe and healthy, considering!

Moonprincess919: I've always kind of enjoyed this particular crossover, considering how brilliant Ed and Al are. I think that they'd do pretty well figuring people out, considering all the people they've gone up against. It helps that Ed has always been his own brand of crazy. We're not even in denial at this point. If you need an example, think about the train takeover and that crazy glint in his eye right before he basically floods them out. -.-'

Last chapter: Ed turns the table on the BAU with his intelligence during their attempt to interrogate him and manages to find out a little bit more about the team in the process. Reid and Morgan are going to keep an eye on him, until things smooth out a bit. Never let it be said that Edward Elric goes down without a fight...unless he's with someone who reminds him of Al on a constant basis.

***At the last moment, I decided to have a bit of a cameo appearance. I've always loved him, for all of his masks that he wears; and honestly, with all of the offers he's gotten, why not the BAU? I already have him with Spence in another fic, and I couldn't stop myself. So, I won't consider it cheating if you look at the clues about their "relationship" or just look at "It's Complicated" so you won't be confused. It's in the same universe . Don't worry. I won't let him go overboard with Ed. Probably. If I'd thought about it sooner, I could have taken a poll to see if you could guess to see who it is. Well, you have until the time skip to start to figure it out!~

Chapter 3: He's a Puzzle

For the first time in a while, Ed felt terrified. All he kept seeing when he slept was his brother being ripped away from him, over and over again. He didn't know what time it was, but he knew that he wouldn't be able to sleep anymore. Feeling frustrated, he looked around for a distraction, for anything to do. Every time he looked at his...housemate, he felt as if he were looking at Alphonse and yet not at the same time. He wasn't sure why, but he constantly felt like he wanted to protect Reid like he did Al. Sighing, he got up and walked towards the window. Yeah, well he'd always failed in that aspect. He'd tried to protect his little brother all of his life and where had that gotten him? He wished he actually knew. From what he had gathered, he was on the other side of the gate again, just in the future. It was very different from the last time he was on this side, maybe it was a different timeline. He knew that Reid had told him all of his books were available for him to read, especially since it could help him with his English. He had also suggested listening to the radio and trying to translate it in his head. He had memorized the dictionary that Reid had given him, but he didn't want to wake him up with the noise. That left reading, he supposed. He had to admit that he was fairly impressed with the expansive library that was just _begging_ to be read. He'd have to take at least a few of them to keep his attention all day, seeing as he wasn't exactly sure how involved they'd let him be with the current case. Shaking his head to try and clear it, he looked at the selection and hummed appreciatively. It was no Central Library, but it would do until he was able to get something else. The first thing that caught his eye was about Criminology and seemed like more of a psychological warfare kind of thing in his mind. Seeing as criminals had undoubtedly changed quite a bit since his last "visit", he figured it could be fairly enlightening. The second book he chose looked to be about psychological behavior and profiling.

_Hmm...profiling. That seems to be something that could be very helpful if I'm going to be stuck in a room full of them constantly. I'll have to change the cover, if only to give the element of surprise. He had already read Modern Miracles of Science**, so he decided to go with that one._

At this point, Ed had looked the cover over and transmuted the other book to look like it, while wearing a trademark 'Ed's gone crazy again' expression. Of course, he knew that his brother was going to groan in despair at his actions, but he hadn't had so much fun in a while. Since he had always been fighting to just stay alive and keep everyone _else_ safe, he felt like he hadn't smiled or even laughed in years. He couldn't help but groan a bit at the thought. Putting the original book back on the shelf, he grinned at the thought of taking Reid's friends and coworkers by surprise. If he was lucky, maybe one of them would fall over in shock. He'd consider giving himself extra points if it was that Mustang clone, Hotch or Morgan. Sitting back on the bed, he started to read immediately.

~one convenient time skip later~

* * *

Reid had noticed Ed reading when he got up in the morning, but decided to leave him be until the last possible moment. He seemed to be the kind of person who totally concentrated on whatever book or research he was doing, probably even ignoring his surroundings unless it was urgent. He also couldn't help but note that Ed had brought nothing with him, which meant he either was mugged or had merely packed nothing. Either was possible, but even for someone as reckless as Ed seemed to be, he didn't come across as someone who would be so unprepared. He was no good at picking out clothes, and he knew that none of them had the free time to go shopping during a case like this one. The outfit he had would have to do for today, but after that, he'd have to set a certain Italian loose on him. Well, that all depended on the work that got done at this point. He winced inwardly at the thought of setting his best friend on the poor guy. They acted kind of similar in a way sometimes, he noticed, and he knew if it came down to it he could sick the girls on him.

"Ed, we need to get going to the BAU." he said, almost sure that he'd have to physically remove the book from him to get him to come.

The blond merely raised an eyebrow and sighed. He had no idea how long he'd been reading, but he'd gotten most of it read. He had wanted to finish it before they left, but it seems that wouldn't be happening. Grabbing the other book, he followed the other man out the door, not noticing the way Reid frowned at him as he walked out. It had been pretty late by the time they had gotten back last night, and so they hadn't bothered to eat. Reid usually ate at the office or on his way there, but Ed hadn't even asked about food of any sort. As they got into the car***, Reid glanced over at the book he was so engaged in and frowned. He could have sworn that Ed had already read that one the other day.

"I thought that you read that one already." he casually commented, as he knew from experience with his friend that saying the wrong thing could make him shut down completely. Ed lowered the book a bit and stopped reading. He knew that Reid didn't quite suspect anything, but was actually really curious by nature.

"There were parts that I thought could use a more..._thorough_ read. I suppose I found it very interesting and just wanted to look at certain parts of it again. To be honest, there were a few chapters that I wanted to re-read." Ed answered while turning another page. It wasn't necessarily a lie. He had wanted to give another look at all the progress that had been made over the years. To be honest, he was still in quite a bit of shock.

Reid looked skeptical, of course, more than likely because he was all too aware of Ed's intelligence and ability to read at such an amazing pace. Therefore, it puzzled him as to why he would want to go back and read a book that he had just read not even a few days ago. He supposed that for now, it wasn't the most important thing that was on their plates. They had made a relatively decent break in the case the other night, which had been thankful. The only suspect that they'd even had was Eric Miller and Reid had unfortunately been forced to practically crack him emotionally. He had not been proud of it, and had, in fact, loathed doing it to an already broken man. The only help was the discovery of his wedding ring that he still wore, proving that he still loved his ex-wife. Glancing over at Ed, he took in his position and body language. It told him that he was used to not having a lot, which meant that he was possessive of what he _did_ have. Judging by how he kept mentioning his brother in such a protective and outright borderline obsessive tone, it would seem that they were undoubtedly never separated for too long a time. As he was obviously the eldest, he had for some reason taken it upon himself to probably take personal responsibility for him. Mentally shrugging it off as not necessarily important for the moment, he had to call for Ed's attention a few times as his new friend had obviously been so preoccupied in the book he had borrowed. Not for the first time, he wondered if Ed had the ability to read and retain information like he could.

As they stepped out of the elevator and made their way through the crowd, Reid noticed that Ed had barely looked up from his book at all. He still answered Reid's questions mostly in English, with a barely noticeable accent; which had surprised him, as he had only been given the translation book a few days prior. Then again, the book he was reading was in English, so it shouldn't be that big of a surprise. What _did_ surprise him was how aware of his surroundings he could be, moving around people the way he did and only looking at Reid to answer questions. Maybe it was something that his being in the military had taught him, but he had a weird sort of grace that seemed almost subtle. As everyone gathered together at the beginning of the day, Ed had yet again taken a position that allowed himself a view of the entire room and the exit at the same time. Morgan looked at Reid with a raised eyebrow, obviously noticing a pattern in his behavior; no matter how casual it may appear to anyone else. Everyone looked slightly confused, as they usually had all paired off by now, as opposed to them all gathered together like this. Hotch arrived last, making sure everyone had made it, including Penelope. Walking towards the front of the room, he cleared his throat slightly to gain everyone's attention as this was obviously quite irregular.

"As this investigation is progressing slower than we'd like, I thought that this would be a good time to gather and get a fresh perspective on things. As I'm sure you are aware, Ed here is in the military, if not on somewhat temporary leave. From what I've heard, he did mostly research and investigations."

Ed kept himself from outright laughing, if not with a slight tint of dark humor at the term. What he had researched was something that had led both him and his brother, (let alone his entire country) down a dark and bloody path. To keep himself from having explain any of this, he merely nodded. Naturally, Reid was curious about it.

"May I ask what you were usually researching?" Reid asked, in a manner that reminded him all too much of his brother. Mentally sighing, he went with a phrase he commonly got from some of his superiors.

"Sorry, but it's classified," Ed told him, shaking his head. Inwardly, he sighed. He knew that neither one of them were entirely innocent, but he wouldn't tell him. It wasn't technically classified on _this_ side of the gate, but he wasn't about to tell any of them about his very bloody past. He could see that almost everyone wanted to know more about it, but he shook his head, seeing the curiosity in their eyes. "It's not worth looking into, but I will help you."

A/N: Okay. I'm going to stop it there for now, because if you have watched CM _at all_, you know things are about to get crazy. Well, there's that and me trying to update my fics in general. T.T

**I have no idea if this is even a real book, but it sounds like something he'd be interested in.

***I have never seen Reid actually drive, so if he owns a car I don't remember. For the sake of convenience, he'll drive at least some of the time.


End file.
